Trip to the cinema

Submitted by admin on Fri, 2011-09-30 23:00

Yassen Abbas looks for science at the Edinburgh International Film Festival

Red carpets, glossy celebrities,
lavish awards. Not at this year’s
Edinburgh International Film Festival (EIFF). The paparazzi and
French canapés you would expect when the world of film comes into
town have been replaced by a cinephile congregation with debate and
the best of British film from all genres at its heart. Among the
copious choice there was one category that attracted scientists in
particular. The festival’s ‘reel science strand’ offered a rich
catalogue of neuroscience-based productions. One of the highlights
was an evening of moving short films and a discussion on living with
Alzheimer’s disease - the ‘Disappearing Act’.

What surprised me most
was the notable absence of actual science in the three hour marathon
of short films and discussion, presented by Rich Pickings. The
‘Disappearing Act’ mostly bypassed the science behind the demise
of the brain and instead questioned the depressing certainty of old
age. One of the films, ‘Irene’, was named after a sufferer of
Alzheimer’s disease and was produced by her granddaughter. It
serves as a potent reminder of the difficulties families face caring
for their elderly relatives. The documentary wasn’t particularly
well made, with its camera work questionable compared to the slick
montages of the other short films on offer. Still it was one of the
highlights of the evening, as it was Irene and her charming
personality who stole the show.

A discussion followed the
presentation of the short films, which included Irene’s daughter
and granddaughter, along with Lynda Hogg, who was diagnosed with
Alzheimer’s disease in 2006. For EIFF to give those who suffer with
Alzheimer’s and their carers the opportunity to publicly speak out
is “very brave”, Lynda Hogg said. In fact, film “is such a
powerful medium”, said Dr Ailsa Cook, a lecturer at the School of
Health and Social Sciences at the University of Edinburgh. In the
end, it was the expression on the faces of those with Alzheimer’s
that had the greatest impact on the audience, telling a story of
loneliness and a departure from a life they once had.

From a civilised
discussion on Alzheimer’s to ‘The Terminator’

The second event I
attended asked, ‘Can robots really have rational thought?’ like
the ‘Terminator’ in Arnold Schwarzernegger’s eighties classic.
The irony of this question pervades two hours of an artificially
intelligent being destroying street after street in Los Angeles for a
reason which is lost in the mirage of violence. But can you really
take science in a film like this seriously? In one scene, James
Cameron’s Hollywood blockbuster seems to both break the law of
conservation of energy and defy the law of gravity. Still, many would
simply call that entertainment, and maybe they’re right: perhaps
scientific undertones of movies which do not claim to be based on
reality shouldn’t be taken seriously.

Real-life
artificial intelligence researchers Austin Tate and SethuVijayakumar
led a stimulating discussion, which touched on the fact that the
morals of James Cameron’s film should remind
scientists who are developing modern robots of what they should
avoid. If you look hard enough, past its gregarious exterior and
sensationalist script, the film poses ethical questions to scientists
who tinker with life. The result of such tinkering, although
exaggerated by Hollywood, could have disastrous consequences. ‘When
science goes wrong’ is still a popular genre for the film studios,
with movies such as ‘I, Robot’ proving a blockbuster hit. No
other film of this genre has been seen more often than the 1931
horror movie ‘Frankenstein’, which is so familiar to sci-fi
lovers it is often mistaken as non-fiction. Frankenstein, a doctor
who is trying to discover a way to make the dead walk, ends up
creating a monster. Based on a novel by Mary Shelley, the story is
often defined by its film adaptation, which produced countless iconic
images.

What to take from the
‘reel science strand’?

Do scientists have the
right to be angry when film gets the science wrong, opting for a
sensationalist version of reality to sell more tickets? They do when
a film, which claims to be based on fact, is riddled with
inaccuracies. However, when science acts simply as a platform and
excluding all rationality and opting for stunning visuals results in
a succinct script focused to please the audience. We can only hope
that the general public also understands this distinction and doesn’t
expect scientists to work miracles. A perfect example of Hollywood
blockbusters which take science to the fictional extreme are
superhero movies. Should synthetic biologists squirm when they see
Marvel Comic's, ‘Spiderman’? This is a story in which the
superhero's alter ego, Peter Parker, is bitten by a genetically
engineered spider and turns into a New York crime fighter with
superpowers. The reality is that the largest readership of comics
amongst adults are scientists themselves.

Also
on offer at the EIFF, was a production asking if one day it will be
possible to know whether you will develop Alzhemiers and diseases
like it, through new generation brain imaging. ‘Oi! Get your grubby
hands out of my brain’, posed ethical questions on the future of
medicine. Another sci-fi classic shown at this year’s festival was
Douglas Trumbulls, ‘Brainstorm’ featuring Holloywoods iconic
actress Natalie Woods which featured a discussion with Professor
Stephen Lawrie from Edinburgh University’s Centre of Clinical
brain.

This year’s Edinburgh
International Film Festival didn't just showcase the latest movies
ready for distribution. It also celebrated small screen art
productions and showed an appreciation of the contribution science
has made and continues to make to film. Including the 'reel science'
strand attracted more scientists and people interested in science,
and the EIFF is better for it.

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Science Cinema

Although frequently inaccurate and
dramatized, science has always had an enjoyable home in films. Even
when the science is wrong, we scientists can take pride in our
ability to point out the inaccuracies or simply dream of a universe
where we can shoot faster-than-light laser weapons. At times,
we may be reluctant to share our favourite science fiction films for
fear of being deemed geeks or nerds. So to help you share, or maybe
just show off, here is a compilation of films to suit a variety of
occasions and settings.

Ladies Night In

For a night with your girlies that will
excite and inspire you, we recommend Contact. While it
may appear at first to be just another ‘finding aliens’ movie,
this one has layers. The film features Daddy issues, romance, power
struggles, beliefs and ideals, not to mention an intelligent,
determined, and enthusiastic female lead. While major parts of the
film are left to the imagination, look out for accurate use of
astronomy and radio telescopes, featuring the Very Large Array in New
Mexico.

Boys Movie Night

We know you’ve probably all watched
the Star Wars movies at least a dozen times, so this time
around we’re suggesting the sci-fi-mystery-thriller Twelve
Monkeys. Bruce Willis is sent to the past to discover who
created a virus that would come to plague the world. With time
travel, microbiology, technology, fast packed action, as well as a
little comedy and romance this one has something for every scientist,
and all boys.

Date Night

Lots of sci-fi films have romantic
undertones, but we’re going to suggest GATTACA.In
a world ruled by your genetic code, true love and true passion are
hard to come by, and a genetically second-rate man’s dreams of
space travel are impossible, unless he acts now. Start watching for
the splendid cast including Ethan Hawke, Uma Thurman and Jude Law,
and stick around for the ample genetics speak. If you need more ideas
for movie dates, we also suggest double bills of: Star Wars V
and VI,Solaris (1972)and Solaris (2002), as well as Logan’s
Run which is due for a remake in 2012.

Something for your Parents

While your parents might not appreciate
the message that comes along with this one being for ‘old-timers’,
they will no doubt enjoy Space Cowboys. A star
studded cast plays a group of retired pilots that are called upon to
be sent into space to repair a satellite that one of the crew
designed. Packed with laughs, this one is truly great for any age,
but older generations will relish seeing such faces as Donald
Sutherland, Tommy Lee Jones, and Clint Eastwood sent into space.

Go to the Cinema with FilmSoc!

During Fresher’s Week, stop by for
free showings of time-traveling comedy delight Bill and Ted’s
Excellent Adventure and this year’s outdoor screening of
family classic E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial.
During the semester FilmSoc are also showing some new sci-fi films
that you may have missed. Airings of Source Code andNever Let Me Go will leave you guessing until the
end, and alien-comedy Paul will have you laughing all the way
home.